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“Murder on the Hatchie’ restores story of Elbert Williams’ murder,”
New Amsterdam News by Karen Juanita Carrillo, August 27, 2026.
“The Fight to Vote: Black Voter Suppression in Tennessee, The Citizenship Project,”
NPT Nashville PBS, February 22, 2021.
Book Review of Murder on the Hatchie by Russell Fowler, Tennessee Bar Journal Sept/Oct 2026, pgs. 14-15
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“Brownsville NAACP honors slain civil rights leader Elbert Williams,” NBC 39 News by Forrest Jones, June 19, 2026
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B., Ashley (@Ashleytheebarroness), “Elbert Williams. In 1940 Tennessee, he tried to do something simple: register Black voters…,” Instagram, August 21, 2025.
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“Digging for the Truth, Jim Emison, BA’65, devotes retirement to civil rights–era cold case,” Vanderbilt Magazine by Ann Marie Deer Owens, BA’76, May 14, 2025.
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McGraw, Leslie, “Elbert Williams Voting Corner. This website serves as a tribute to Elbert Williams and the continuation of his legacy through his descendant Leslie McGraw, offering a comprehensive collection of resources, stories, and historical insights into his remarkable journey.” (2022), elbertwilliamsvotingcorner.com
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‘There are a Thousand Brownsvilles’: The 1940 Lynching of Elbert Williams and the Fight for Democracy,” Café by David Kurlander, January 27, 2022.
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“The Fight to Vote: Black Voter Suppression in Tennessee | The Citizenship Project | NPT,” Nashville PBS, February 22, 2021.
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“Justice Delayed, but Not Denied,” Your Weekly Constitutional podcast, December 22, 2018.
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“Elbert Williams Age 31 A Black founder of a local NAACP chapter,” PBS Frontline WGBH, November 8, 2018.
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“Little Known Black History Fact: Elbert Williams,” BlackAmericaWeb.com by D.L. Chandler, August 13, 2018.
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“Tennessee reopens civil rights cold case from 1940,” Philadelphia Tribune by Emanuella Grinberg, Jamiel Lynch. August 11, 2018.
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“Before civil rights activist Medgar Evers was killed for his work there was Elbert Williams. His case is being reopened,” CNN by Emanuella Grinberg, Jamiel Lynch, August 10, 2018.
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“Civil-rights murder case of Elbert Williams reopened in Tennessee,” Chicago Sun Times by US Today Network, August 10, 2018.
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“Tennessee Reopens 78-Year-Old Case Of Murdered Black Activist.” National Public Radio—Morning Edition. August 10, 2018.
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“80-year-old West Tennessee Cold Case Homicide Reopened,” WMC Action News 5 by Staff, August 8, 2018.
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“1940 Cold Case Murder of NAACP Activist to be Reopened,” Tennessee Bar Association by Katharine Heriges, August 8, 2018.
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“APNewsBreak: 1940 civil rights worker slaying case reopened,” Associated Press by Adrian Sainz, August 8, 2018.
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“Cold Case: Jim Emison, BA’65, Is Determined to Solve a 75-Year-Old Hate Crime and Bring Justice to Tragedy,” Vanderbilt University Magazine by Catherine Arnold, February 29, 2016.
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“Civil Rights Worker Slaying Case From 1940s Reopened.” Atlanta Daily World by Britta Lee, August 8, 2018.
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“Tennessee DA reopens investigation into 1940 killing of civil rights worker dubbed the 'first martyr of the NAACP,” Daily Mail, Associated Press, August 8, 2018.
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“Tennesseans Seek Justice, Reconciliation Through Civil Rights Cold Case Initiative,”
Uplift Memphis, Uplift the Nation: The Blog for Community Engagement by Jasmine P. Stansberry, October 24, 2017. -
Commemorative & Memorial Resolution (2017), “Honoring Brownsville, Tennessee Branch Charter Members, Especially Elbert Williams Who was Murdered June 20, 1940 in the Struggle for African American Voting Rights,” NAACP, naacp.org/resources/honoring-brownsville-tennessee-branch-charter-members-especially-elbert-williams-who-was
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“Remembering Elbert Williams Activist Lynched in 1940,” Equal Justice Initiative, June 22, 2016.
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“Tennessee Community Pushes To Reopen 'Civil Rights Hero' Cold Case,”
National Public Radio - All Things Considered by Debbie Elliott, July 16, 2015.
A June 22, 2015, Associated Press story by Lucas L. Johnson has been published internationally.
Click the links below for each version of the story.
“White attorney calls on feds to reopen 1940 unsolved murder case of NAACP member who was shot dead and thrown in river for registering black voters in Tennessee,” Daily Mail, June 22, 2015.
“Attorney feels driven to solve 1940 slaying of NAACP member,” Philadelphia Tribune by Lucas L. Johnson II, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Attorney Feels Driven to Solve 1940 Slaying of NAACP Member,” BlackPressUSA.com by Lucas L. Johnson II, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Attorney Driven to Solve 1940 Slaying of NAACP Member,” Voice of America, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Tennessee lawyer seeks justice in 1940 slaying of NAACP member,” CBS News, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Attorney driven to solve 1940 slaying of NAACP activist; 'It was just like he was discarded,” US News & World Report, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Attorney feels driven to solve 1940 slaying of NAACP member,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Attorney Won't Stop Probing This Man's 1940 Murder,” Newser, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Lawyer aims to right a long-ago wrong,” The Seattle Times by Jerry Large, AP, June 22, 2015.
“Murder of Elbert Williams, first NAACP civil rights worker killed, unsolved 75 years later,” AL.com, AP, June 22, 2015.
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“Memorial honors NAACP member slain in 1940,” WRCB-TV, June 21, 2015.
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“Memorial honors NAACP member slain in 1940,” World News Network, June 20, 2015.
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“Retired Tenn. Lawyer Researches Cold Case of Murdered Civil Rights Era NAACP Official,”WKMS - Murray State University by Matt Markgraf, June 15, 2015.
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“Civil Rights Cold Case Victim Elbert Williams to be Honored on 75th Anniversary of His Murder,”Copy Line Magazine, May 27, 2015.
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“Jim Emison On The Elbert Williams Case,”The Commercial Appeal, April 9, 2015.
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“A historian's mission to find Elbert Williams,” WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News by Jordan Hall, March 1, 2015.
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Memorial Marker (2015), “Elbert Williams 1940”, Tennessee Historical Elbert Williams Commission & Elbert Williams Memorial Committee, sites.lib.jmu.edu/lynchingmarkers/tn1940062001
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Wynn, Linda T., "Elbert Williams" (2015). Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture. 31. digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/conference-on-african-american-history-and-culture/31